Kopek
by NotCrazyJustCreativelyInsane
Summary: Edmund starts acting strangely and Lucy is worried. When she follows him one night, what will she uncover?
1. Chapter 1

**Had this one sitting on my computer for quite some time. Thought I'd share it with ya'll. Enjoy!**

 **Disclamer: I don't own CoN.**

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 _ **Kopek**_

Lucy noticed her brother started acting weird about a week prior. Edmund began being very secretive around that time. Normally he was an open book with his family. But not lately. It was unnerving for the young girl. Peter and Susan didn't seem to notice. Not as though they had time to realize it, what with running a country and all. Peter especially. Being High King was not all parties and caviar. Not that he would eat that stuff anyway. Yuck. But the younger two had less expected of them. True, they tried to help where possible, but they could still only do so much.

But Lucy didn't think that was why Edmund was acting so secretive. He would sneak off for hours at a time, sometimes in the middle of the night, and was jumpy when others were around.

Honestly it was frightening her a bit. She'd never seen him act so strange. Maybe if she talked to someone, she'd feel better. Yeah, that's what she would do. She figured Edmund would probably lie about it as to not worry her, but that would only serve to worry her more. Susan was busy. Plus, Lucy had no idea where she was. So she hunted Peter down. She found him in the library, speaking with an Owl, Silverwing by name, Cair Paravel's chief librarian.

"...Should do nicely," Peter was saying. Lucy peeped through the crack in the door, seeing her oldest brother standing in the middle of the room, Silverwing on her perch near the couch. Lucy pushed the door open wider, catching her brother's attention. "Come on in, Lu," he invited when he spotted her, beckoning her to enter. She stepped forward timidly. She still was not quite sure of herself around the courtiers of Cair Paravel. "It's alright, Lu. Silverwing won't bite." Peter smiled gently.

"Well, not you, Your Majesty," the Owl said with a bow. Peter chuckled and Lucy smiled. "Lady Silverwing and I were just talking of the possibility of a desk or two in here and if it would take up too much space."

"Oh, a desk would be nice," Lucy said. "It would be nice not to have to sit on the floor or take them all up to our rooms."

"Exactly my point. And I know Ed likes to study in here from time to time. It would be nice to have something other than the floor to sit on, just like you said."

The mention of Edmund brought the whole reason of her seeking out her brother to the front again. "Peter, I need to talk to you," she stated.

Peter saw she was serious and gave her his full attention. "What is it, Lu?"

She took a deep breath and said, "I think something might be wrong with Edmund."

"What?" He knelt down to look her in the eye. "What do you mean 'something's wrong with Edmund?'"

"Well, he's acting funny. And secretive." She lowered her voice to where only she could hear it. "And it's scaring me a little bit."

Peter heard her though. He sat cross-legged on the plush carpet. Lucy took that as invitation and sat in his lap. "Why is it scaring you?" he asked, blue eyes full of concern.

"Well, he's never acted like this before. Not even after attending that school." She may be young, but she remembered full well what had caused Edmund to begin behaving the way he did in Spare Oom. That was the day the teasing had begun.

"Yes. But I'm sure it's nothing. He's just trying to adjust to palace life. We all are. You said yourself that it's hard to get any privacy around here. Mayhap he's just getting away for a while."

"In the middle of the night?" she demanded.

Peter gaped at her. "Middle of the night?" he repeated. He seemed to recover himself in the same instant, inquiring, "And how would you know that, little missy?"

She paused, then blushed, realizing what she had said. "Midnight snack?" she answered, as if that would get her out of trouble, shrugging her shoulders innocently. Peter eyed her warily.

"What am I to do with you?" he asked himself, shaking his head. Lucy smiled, knowing she was off the hook, at least for now. Peter heaved a sigh of exasperation, seeing he was beaten at his own game. "I'll talk to him when I see him next, okay?"

"Okay." Lucy nodded. He kissed her forehead before shooing her off of him and sending her on her way.

"And no more going to the kitchen or whatever you do in the middle of the night anymore, all right?" he called after her. She turned and smiled again. She had confidence that her oldest brother would make things better.

That is, until later that night.

After tossing and turning for an hour straight, she sneaked down to the kitchen, hoping that after a quick snack she would be able to sleep. She couldn't figure out what kept her awake. Maybe it was worry for Edmund. Maybe it was the fact that Peter didn't keep his promise. Granted, he did not actually promise anything, but he said he would talk to Edmund and he didn't. Maybe she was hoping to catch Edmund in the act tonight. Maybe...

By then she had reached the expansive kitchen. She picked out an apple and sat on one of the chairs used by the staff. She began humming to herself, trying in vain to ward off the quiet around her. Finally she gave up and sat in the silence, attempting not to think about what might be lurking in the shadows cast by her small candle. What if she heard something? That would mean there was something in the room with her. What if it wasn't friendly? She was too far away for Peter to hear her if anything happened. What if something did happen? What if…

What was that? She strained her ears. She had definitely heard something. She strained harder. Whatever it was, it was walking. And it was certainly bigger than her. She heard the unmistakable sound of someone or something breathing in the hall. Despite her racing heart, Lucy blew out her candle quickly, slid off her chair, and ducked into a strangely empty cabinet.

Oddly enough, it wasn't...whatever she expected, but Edmund who opened the door. Lucy sneaked a look out of her hiding place. By the light of his own candle, she could see her brother was dressed in dark clothes, his feet were bare, and he had a satchel with him. He began gathering food and placing it in the bag. All kinds of meats it seemed. After a moment he risked a glance at the bag. He looked satisfied with the contents. He closed the flap on the satchel, settled it on his shoulder, and took a quick survey of his surroundings. Doing the same at the door, he paused to listen, then left. Lucy waited, hidden, a few moments more in case he came back. When she was positive he wouldn't, she scurried out of her cabinet and scampered up the stairs to her room for her shoes.

If Peter wouldn't do anything about Edmund, little Lucy would just take matters into her own hands.

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 **Now, I will do something I've never done on here. I will bribe you. I will post the next chapter if I get at least three reviews. Okay? Okay. And if the title seems strange, it will hopefully make since later in the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your lovely reviews. As I said before, the name for this story becomes apparent in this chapter. Enjoy.**

 **Disclamer: I don't own it.**

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After she grabbed her shoes and shoved them on her feet, Lucy raced to the massive front doors the the castle. She opened them as quietly as her haste would allow. She dashed to the royal stables. She checked Phillip's stall, her brother's Horse. Just as she suspected.

Empty.

She would have to run if she wanted to see what that boy was up to. Thankfully they weren't too far ahead of her. Once they entered the woods she nearly lost them a couple of times, but thanks to her classes - and Phillip's heavy steps - she was able to track them.

After crossing a bizarrely cold stream - for they were in the high of summer - and coming out of the woods, then continuing on to a part of the beach she had yet to explore, Lucy saw her brother pull the Talking Horse to a halt. She saw Edmund slide from the saddle. She saw him crouch on the sandy beach at the mouth a small cave, then enter.

Lucy knew he had a knack to be danger-prone, but she didn't think him daft enough to crawl into a cave if it was potentially dangerous. At least, she didn't _think_ so (she had been wrong before).

She slowly approached the cave, hoping (and praying) he hadn't somehow discovered her and then jump out and scare her. She would bean him if he did, the little meany.

Lucy reached the hole in the side of the hill and knelt before it. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't as much a cave as a tunnel of sorts. Gathering up the skirt of her nightgown (she hadn't bothered to get dressed), she ducked her head and crawled in. It wasn't a long tunnel, but long enough, and pitch black inside. She bopped her head on the hard-packed earth ceiling more than once. It was quite dark. No, wait. It began growing brighter, a light reflecting off the dirt wall from around a smooth curve. She had come upon Edmund's secret refuge.

She saw him by the steady, dim glow of a lantern, on his hands and knees, his back turned to her. He was talking to something or someone, though she could not make out the words being said. When he paused - as if for an answer - Lucy took the opportunity and called his name softly. He started, smacking his head on the ceiling with a thunk. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing his noggin as he turned to face her. "Lucy?!"

The girl tried to stifle her giggles, smiling innocently. He crawled (for he could not stand properly) over to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Me?"

She looked around. "Is there anyone else here?"

"I'm not doing anything, if that's what you mean."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. "What's your secret?"

He looked taken aback. "Secret? What are you talking about?"

"The secret you're trying to hide by asking me what I'm talking about to throw me off guard."

Edmund blinked. She spoke so fast he could barely comprehend it.

She sighed again. "You know you can trust me." She looked down at her hands (for they were still on all fours), quietly adding, "Don't you?"

Edmund couldn't stay mad when she used that tone of voice. She sounded positively crushed. His heart melted. "Of course I do. It's just that it's late and you should be in bed."

Lucy huffed. "And what about you, Mister?" she retorted.

Edmund smiled at the gentle teasing. "You've a good point. But I would have liked to know you were tailing me. You could have gotten hurt."

"But then I could have screamed and brought you galloping back and you and Phillip could have saved me. You weren't that far ahead of me," she stated smugly.

Edmund's eyes grew wide at her logic. "I've taught you well," he declared happily.

Lucy smiled complacently. "Now," she chirped, "what are you hiding?"

He finally gave in. "Promise you won't tell?"

She crossed her heart without a word.

He scuffled about a bit until he was against the wall and she could see past him. A large black thing, colored brown by the mud and dirt, squirmed. Lucy cautiously advanced towards it. It moved again and suddenly she was staring into two ice blue eyes. The girl let out a high-pitched squeal as realization hit when it licked the tip of her nose. "A dog!"

Edmund smiled again at her enthusiasm. "I found it last week. It was alone and limping and caked with mud. I haven't the means to clean it, because, well, one can't exactly carry a pail of water on Horseback. But I have been able to fix her leg. Somewhat."

Lucy didn't even acknowledge he was speaking. "It's so cute! Is it a boy or a girl? Does it have a name? How'd you find it? Can we bring it home? Please?" and on and on.

"Yes, it is; girl, I think; no, it doesn't; she was in the woods; and I don't know about that. Peter and Susan would have a cow if I just showed up with a strange dog."

"True." She finally calmed down a bit. "Well, we can't just leave her here. Anything could happen. So we have to bring her to the Cair." She nodded once firmly. "I'm sure Peter and Susan will love her."

"Maybe, but I haven't been able to coax her out of this cave."

"Oh." Lucy looked thoughtful. "Have you tried food?"

"I've tried just about everything."

The next half-hour was spent using every means thinkable to drag her out - in one case, literally - when Lucy let out a huge yawn.

"Lu, you shouldn't have come out. You need to be in bed."

"Yes, daddy." She giggled tiredly. Edmund smirked and shook his head.

"I'm cold," she said.

He turned to crawl toward his cloak. When he faced her again, she was curled up with the dog. He covered her with the light, midnight blue wool cloak and settled himself with the wall at his back, lifting her head off the poor pooch's side. She was already asleep. It was way past her bedtime, after all. He smiled softly as he rested her against his side instead. She snuggled closer, seeking his comforting warmth. He planted a gentle kiss to the top of her head, trying to find a bearable position against the wall. He knew he was in for a long night. Within minutes, however, all three were fast asleep.

-}-

Peter awoke the next morning well rested and relaxed for the most part but for the feeling hanging over him. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He started feeling like this last night about suppertime. It was some kind of impression of foreboding. But what could be wrong? All was well when he went to bed the night before. He had exchanged a few words with the guards on duty and made doubly sure his siblings were all tucked in bed, safe and sound-

That was it! Peter's eyes widened. The girls! Edmund! He leapt out of bed, snatched up a robe, and flung the door to his chambers open. He didn't even acknowledge the guard who bid him good morn. He had to check on Susan and Lucy and Edmund. What if this feeling was correct? What if something had happened to them? He would never forgive himself if any of them came to harm under his watch.

The first room he came to was Susan's. He gently pushed open the door a crack. As he peered around it, he saw her lying quietly, snug in her down comforter and linen sheets. All seemed well by her.

Next was Lucy's chambers across the hall. He opened the door, this time entering the large room. Might as well wake her for breakfast. He crept up to the bedside. He was never one for stealth - that was more Edmund's department - but when Lucy was asleep, almost nothing could wake her. Save her family, that is.

As he approached her bed, he saw a rather strange sight. The covers were tossed aside haphazardly. A strange element for his littlest sister. She was always very neat and organized, a trait she shared with the other two, but Peter was sometimes lacking in. Granted, it was early. It could be that her ladies-in-waiting hadn't gotten to it yet, but Lucy would usually be in her room until breakfast. Again, that feeling in his gut told him something wasn't quite right. Perhaps she had gone to the dining hall early and was waiting for them to wake, and he still had Edmund to check on, anyway.

Peter slipped from the room and came to the last one in the hall. Edmund's. He opened the door, not caring how loud he was. In fact, he tried to make his entrance as noisy as possible. Just to annoy the other. Edmund did it to him all the time, only he brought Susan and Lucy with him and jumped on Peter's bed. Peter wouldn't do that. Maybe…

He saw a lump in the bed. Edmund always was a very heavy sleeper. He needed some motivation to get up. Peter gave him just that. He crossed over to the other side for the room and yanked open the curtains, flooding the chamber with light. He expected to hear grumbling and growling from his little brother, but it never came. Odd. Edmund was a deep sleeper, but never that deep. Peter frowned and walked to the bed. He held his breath, though he wasn't sure why, and threw back the covers.

Pillows.

It was pillows making the lump in the bed, not Edmund. Peter had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He forced himself to be calm, however. It was decidedly difficult when he remembered Lucy saying something about Edmund sneaking off at all hours.

He exited the room and called a guard. Now he was starting to get scared. This was eerily similar to the dream he'd had last night. He was fervidly praying this scenario would not end the same way.

Kath, a Cougar in charge of the castle guards, was by his side in an instant. He gave a questioning glance. "Majesty?"

"Search the castle. Find King Edmund and Queen Lucy."

He bowed his head without a word and took off. Peter went to wake Susan and search themselves. She roused with little more help than Peter saying they needed to look for the two youngsters. As they dashed back into the hall, Kath came back around the corner, breathless. "Majesties!"

Susan and Peter whipped around to face him.

The Cougar pulled up in front of them and tried to regain his breath. Peter could have sworn he'd run the whole search. "We have not seen your Royal Brother or Sister anywhere." He bowed his head in remorse. "I am sorry."

Susan let out a strangled gasp. "Do you mean they're gone?" Peter could plainly hear the horror in her voice.

"Yes," Kath replied. "I'm sorry."

"What could have happened?" Peter demanded.

"I do not know," the Big Cat said. "I have gotten some Dogs to pick up their scent."

"Good." Peter racked his brain for what Lucy had told him the night before. She'd said Edmund was acting strange and sneaking off at all hours of the night. She'd wanted him to talk to Edmund about it, but he had forgotten. How could he have forgotten something as important as that? Had they snuck off last night too? That was likely, but he wasn't sure. If that was the case, though, anything could have happened to them. If Lucy had followed Edmund, who knew what trouble those two could get into? They could be hurt. They could be-

No. He clamped down on that thought before it finished. They were safe. He was sure of it. His dream was not reality. Aslan would keep them safe until he could find them.

"What are your orders, Majesty?"

Peter snapped out of his reverie as the Cougar addressed him again.

"Search the woods, the beach, everywhere, until you find them, good Kath."

The Big Cat bowed his large head and left once more.

When he was out of sight, Susan turned to Peter. "I want to go with you," she stated.

He shook his head. "No, Su. I need you to stay here in case they come back. If that happens, I need you to send word right away." As he spoke, they heard the distinct howl of Dogs picking up a scent. They looked in the direction the call sounded from.

Susan turned back and nodded. "Just be careful, all right?"

Peter smiled slightly. "Of course."

With that, he went back to his room to dress. When he joined the small hunting party, they were waiting for his order to move out.

As they set off, Peter called for a Gryphon. "Demari, please search the air for sign of our royal brother and sister."

The young Gryphon didn't reply, just nodded once and shot into the air swiftly with a piercing cry.

Within moments, he came back, landing heavily in the grass on the hill they had topped. "Majesty, your brother's Horse is not far off. Just on the other side of these woods."

"Was he all right?"

The Gryphon bowed his head. "I do not know, Sire. I will admit I did not get close enough to see."

"I thank you, my good sir."

The Creature launched into the sky once more. Peter kicked his horse into a gallop, closing the gap between him and his goal quickly. And quick work he made of it. In no time, he came out on the other side of the woods. He had no trouble spotting Phillip. The horse was standing on the beach alone. In fact, he was the only thing on the beach. Peter slid from his saddle, calling to the Horse.

Phillip blinked in surprise - as if just waking up - looking around before seeing the boy coming towards him. He whickered his greeting.

Peter reached the Horse and stroked his neck. "Phillip, where is my brother?"

"Inside." The Horse nodded toward a small opening in the side of the hill. Peter looked to the spot he indicated.

"Is he okay?"

"I'm not sure. He went in there last night and hasn't come out since."

Peter groaned. "And you just let him?" he scolded.

The Horse ducked his head, ashamed, but said nothing.

"I'm going in," Peter resolved.

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 **One more part after this.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclamer: I don't own CoN**

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Edmund awoke to voices outside the tunnel. One sounded like Phillip. He wasn't sure though, his mind still weighed down with sleep. No, he was positive it was the Horse. The other he couldn't quite make out.

He looked down to Lucy, still nestled next to him, her head in his lap. He roused her shoulder gently. When she didn't so much as grumble, he settled for his favorite method of waking her.

He tickled her.

He was not disappointed. With a shout, she bolted upright so quickly their heads almost collided. "Hey!" she cried. Edmund just laughed.

"You're mean."

He just laughed harder.

"Listen." Lucy froze. Edmund swallowed his chuckles. Both brother and sister strained their ears. Then a beaming smile broke out across Lucy's face. "Peter!" She jumped up and crawled as fast as she could, Edmund just behind her.

She crawled to the mouth of the cave. As soon as she saw her oldest brother, she let out an excited squeal, jumped to her feet, and ran into his arms. Peter was almost bowled over in her enthusiasm. Laughing, he hugged her close, kissing her hair. Edmund exited the cave a little more quietly, not quite sure what to say.

Peter saved him the trouble, though, as he untangled one arm from Lucy and reached for him. Edmund smiled apprehensively and stepped toward him. But instead of letting his brother hold him, too, he stammered out an apology. "I...I'm sorry, Peter. I...I should have sent her back home when I found out she followed-"

He was cut off when Peter abruptly grabbed him, mumbling, "Oh, shut up, will you?"

Edmund breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. Peter wasn't angry with him.

"I was so worried. Thank Aslan you're both all right," Peter said.

"We're sorry, Peter," Lucy replied, though she sounded far from it. "But come here! Edmund found something! You're going to like, I think."

Peter grinned, following her to the cave. Lucy had already disappeared inside. Peter's smile faltered when he saw the size of it. He looked to Edmund for help, but Edmund just smirked.

"How am I supposed to fit in there?" He gestured helplessly to the narrow tunnel.

"Well, I think your body will fit just fine. It's your head I'm worried about." To prove his point, Edmund rapped on Peter's skull. "See?"

Peter laughed, scowling, and ducked inside. He ended up having to crawl on his belly to reach their destination. As he drew nearer, the ceiling slanted upward and the area widened gradually, but he still could not stand. He heard Lucy giggling, saw the newly lit lantern's light, and the large thing jumping around her. Finally the ceiling was high enough to allow him to sit, but he had to stoop his head.

"Look, Peter, Ed found a dog! Can we keep her? Please?" Lucy begged.

"Well...I don't know, Lu." He stole a glance behind him at his brother, who, in turn, looked sheepish for getting her started in the first place. He continued. "We don't know anything about it. Where it came from; who it belongs to, if anyone. Do you even know if it's a Talking Dog?"

Now Lucy looked sheepish. "Don't ask me. Ed's been with her longer. And she's a girl, Peter." She crossed her arms with a huff. For show, of course.

Peter shifted his gaze to Edmund again, now beside him.

"I found her a week ago. She hasn't said anything yet. She was alone when I found her, she has no collar, and she was extremely dirty, so I can only assume she has been on her own for a while."

"A week? Edmund, anything could have happened. She could have been sick, rabid. She could have bitten you. You could have gotten sick. You could have-"

"Peter." With his name, Peter stopped his tirade of "could have's". Edmund went on. "None of that happened. If something did happen - and again I say 'if' - I would have told someone right away." He rocked back on his heels, a smirk playing on his lips. "Besides, I don't think rabies spread that quickly."

"So," Lucy cut in, "can we keep her? Please, Peter?" She turned her big, expectant eyes on him. The one weapon that never failed her.

"Yes, Peter, please?" Edmund made his expression as innocent as possible. Which was pretty darn innocent.

Oh no! Not the both of them! They knew how to get to him. He was helpless against them and they knew it and used it to their full advantage. The only thing worse was when Susan joined in. Just as they expected, Peter fairly melted. "Fine!" He threw up his hands in defeat and exasperation. "Yes, we can keep her."

Lucy squealed and hurled herself at her oldest brother, hugging him round the neck. He laughed, glad to have delighted her so. Edmund joined, embracing them both, though far quieter than Lucy had, but no less joyful. The dog, seemingly understanding them, or at least their joy, leapt and bounded around them, jumping up to lick their smiling faces.

After a moment, Peter sobered slightly. "We should return. Susan was worried."

"Fine by me," Edmund agreed. "I'm probably going to get an earful from her anyway. Might as well get it over with as soon as possible."

-}-

After much coaxing, the dog finally came out of the cave, and they all started back to Cair Paravel. As they neared it, Edmund realized with dread, Susan was waiting outside. He had been hoping, despite what he said, he could slip the dog and himself into his room without running into his older sister. His shoulders sagged. Phillip chuckled from under him when he felt the shift in body language. "I told you so," the Horse said. Edmund glared. Not that Phillip knew it, though.

They came upon the castle and halted in the courtyard. Edmund slid from the saddle, took a deep breath, and faced Susan. "Su, I'm sorry-"

"How dare you." She marched up to him from the palace's front steps.

Edmund flinched. Only his family could make him do that.

"How dare you sneak off in the middle of the night, take Lucy, tell no one, and worry us all to death! How could you?!" Susan cried. Before he could answer, she grabbed him in a bear hug.

Edmund wisely stayed silent. Then she pulled back and smacked his arm. Hard. Okay, maybe staying silent wasn't the wisest choice, after all.

"Don't you ever do that again!"

The poor boy could do nothing more than look at her and rub his stinging arm. By Jove, that hurt! Who knew his sister could hit like that?

Lucy giggled slightly at the bewildered look on Edmund's _and_ Peter's faces. He hadn't been expecting her to do that either. Susan whirled on her. "And you!" She pointed a finger at the young girl. Lucy jumped in surprise. "Why'd you sneak off with him? Why didn't you wake someone?" Lucy shrank back under the accusing finger. Without waiting for an answer, Susan glared daggers at them both. "You could have been hurt!"

"Susan," Peter said softly. Susan seemed to regain control of herself. She took a deep breath, looked as if she was counting to ten, then slowly let it out.

"If you will excuse me." She turned and stormed back to the castle, not looking back once. Every Creature in the courtyard stood in stunned silence. Unfortunately nobody noticed the black and brown thing following her. They were too busy pondering just how she had earned the title of "Gentle."

Edmund turned to Peter, opening his mouth to scold him on not coming to the rescue sooner, but was cut off as a scream erupted throughout the courtyard and reverberated off the walls of Cair Paravel, accompanied by a shriek of, "Edmund! What is this thing?!"

It was then that Edmund realized the dog was missing. He glanced to Peter for help. Peter smiled reassuringly. The smile that meant 'I won't let her kill you.' Edmund took off up the steps. From behind, it sounded suspiciously like his brother said " _Much"_ before Peter joined him. He scowled.

They found Susan standing on one of the benches that lined the castle halls, her skirts hiked up to her knees, the dog bouncing around her. Edmund dropped to his knees, slapping his leg. The dog ran to him. Jumping up, she planted a slobbery wet kiss across his face. Peter laughed as he spluttered. "Ew! Gross!"

"You said you wanted to keep her," Peter chuckled.

"What? We're keeping it?" Susan cried.

"Susan," Edmund stated, "meet the newest member of the family."

Susan glowered at her older brother. "Peter, he can't be serious. Can he?"

"We are. I'm the one who said he can keep her. In fact, I rather like her."

Lucy, who had apparently followed her brothers, joined the conversation. "Oh, she the sweetest thing, Susan. You'll love her, I promise."

"But...but…" Seeing she was outvoted in the matter, she conceded. "Oh, fine. But it has to have a bath. It reeks!"

Edmund smiled, stood up, and beckoned the dog to follow with a whistle, to which it happily obliged. He heard behind him Lucy scolding Susan, telling her, "She's a girl, Susan!"

"Yep," he said to the canine next to him. "You're definitely part of the family now."

 _Fin_

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 **Well, there ya'll go. The last installment of _Kopek_. I apologise profusely if anyone was out of character (Hey! I spelled it right the first time!). This was my first long fic. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. ****Please drop me a review to let me know.**


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